diff --git a/analytics/benchmark_data_fetching.ipynb b/analytics/benchmark_data_fetching.ipynb
index 94d2652..89bdd66 100644
--- a/analytics/benchmark_data_fetching.ipynb
+++ b/analytics/benchmark_data_fetching.ipynb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     "from dotenv import load_dotenv\n",
     "\n",
     "from coastpy.io.engine import STACQueryEngine\n",
-    "from coastpy.io.utils import read_items_extent\n",
+    "from coastpy.stac.utils import read_snapshot\n",
     "\n",
     "load_dotenv(override=True)\n",
     "\n",
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
     "    \"https://coclico.blob.core.windows.net/stac/v1/catalog.json\"\n",
     ")\n",
     "gcts_collection = coclico_catalog.get_child(\"gcts\")\n",
-    "gcts_extents = read_items_extent(gcts_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
+    "gcts_extents = read_snapshot(gcts_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
     "gcts_extents.head()"
    ]
   },
diff --git a/analytics/hypsometry.ipynb b/analytics/hypsometry.ipynb
index 8a0da3f..eb669ba 100644
--- a/analytics/hypsometry.ipynb
+++ b/analytics/hypsometry.ipynb
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "from coastpy.io.utils import read_items_extent\n",
+    "from coastpy.stac.utils import read_snapshot\n",
     "\n",
     "# Read the CoCliCo STAC catalog\n",
     "coclico_catalog = pystac.Catalog.from_file(\n",
@@ -107,11 +107,11 @@
     "\n",
     "# Read the spatial footprint of the transect partitions.\n",
     "gcts_collection = coclico_catalog.get_child(\"gcts\")\n",
-    "gcts_extents = read_items_extent(gcts_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
+    "gcts_extents = read_snapshot(gcts_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
     "\n",
     "# Read the spatial footprint of the DeltaDTM tiles.\n",
     "ddtm_collection = coclico_catalog.get_child(\"deltares-delta-dtm\")\n",
-    "ddtm_extents = read_items_extent(ddtm_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])"
+    "ddtm_extents = read_snapshot(ddtm_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@
     "        return gpd.GeoDataFrame(df[\"transect_id\"], geometry=geoms, crs=4326)\n",
     "\n",
     "    gcts_collection = coclico_catalog.get_child(\"gcts\")\n",
-    "    gcts_extents = read_items_extent(gcts_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
+    "    gcts_extents = read_snapshot(gcts_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
     "    gcts_hrefs = gcts_extents.href.to_list()\n",
     "\n",
     "    # template GDF that matches what is retunred from map_extract_landward_side\n",
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@
     "            df.to_parquet(f)\n",
     "\n",
     "    ddtm_collection = coclico_catalog.get_child(\"deltares-delta-dtm\")\n",
-    "    ddtm_extents = read_items_extent(ddtm_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
+    "    ddtm_extents = read_snapshot(ddtm_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\"])\n",
     "\n",
     "    tiles = make_mercantiles(MERCANTILES_LEVEL)\n",
     "\n",
diff --git a/src/coastpy/io/engine.py b/src/coastpy/io/engine.py
index 4d6b585..36757b4 100644
--- a/src/coastpy/io/engine.py
+++ b/src/coastpy/io/engine.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import shapely
 from shapely.wkb import loads as wkb_loads
 
-from coastpy.io.utils import read_items_extent
+from coastpy.stac.utils import read_snapshot
 
 
 class BaseQueryEngine:
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def __init__(
         columns: list[str] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(storage_backend=storage_backend)
-        self.extents = read_items_extent(
+        self.extents = read_snapshot(
             stac_collection, columns=["geometry", "assets", "proj:epsg", "href"]
         )
         self.proj_epsg = self.extents["proj:epsg"].unique().item()
diff --git a/src/coastpy/io/utils.py b/src/coastpy/io/utils.py
index c154b33..8f86172 100644
--- a/src/coastpy/io/utils.py
+++ b/src/coastpy/io/utils.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import copy
 import json
 import logging
 import pathlib
@@ -258,50 +257,6 @@ def name_bounds(bounds, crs):
     return filename
 
 
-def read_items_extent(collection, columns=None, storage_options=None):
-    """
-    Reads the extent of items from a STAC collection and returns a GeoDataFrame with specified columns.
-
-    Args:
-        collection: A STAC collection object that contains assets.
-        columns: List of columns to return. Default is ["geometry", "assets", "href"].
-        storage_options: Storage options to pass to fsspec. Default is None.
-
-    Returns:
-        GeoDataFrame containing the specified columns.
-    """
-    if storage_options is None:
-        storage_options = {}
-
-    # Set default columns
-    if columns is None:
-        columns = ["geometry", "assets", "href"]
-
-    columns_ = copy.deepcopy(columns)
-
-    # Ensure 'assets' is always in the columns
-    if "assets" not in columns:
-        columns.append("assets")
-        logger.debug("'assets' column added to the list of columns")
-
-    # Open the parquet file and read the specified columns
-    href = collection.assets["geoparquet-stac-items"].href
-    with fsspec.open(href, mode="rb", **storage_options) as f:
-        extents = gpd.read_parquet(f, columns=[c for c in columns if c != "href"])
-
-    # If 'href' is requested, extract it from the 'assets' column
-    if "href" in columns:
-        extents["href"] = extents["assets"].apply(lambda x: x["data"]["href"])
-        logger.debug("'href' column extracted from 'assets'")
-
-    # Drop 'assets' if it was not originally requested
-    if "assets" not in columns_:
-        extents = extents.drop(columns=["assets"])
-        logger.debug("'assets' column dropped from the GeoDataFrame")
-
-    return extents
-
-
 def write_log_entry(
     container: str,
     name: str,
diff --git a/src/coastpy/stac/utils.py b/src/coastpy/stac/utils.py
index 984237e..000a613 100644
--- a/src/coastpy/stac/utils.py
+++ b/src/coastpy/stac/utils.py
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+import copy
 import itertools
+import logging
 import operator
 
+import fsspec
+import geopandas as gpd
 import pystac
 import xarray as xr
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 def collate(items: xr.DataArray) -> list[pystac.Item]:
     """
@@ -67,3 +73,47 @@ def stackstac_to_dataset(stack: xr.DataArray) -> xr.Dataset:
 
     ds = ds.drop_dims("band")
     return ds
+
+
+def read_snapshot(collection, columns=None, storage_options=None):
+    """
+    Reads the extent of items from a STAC collection and returns a GeoDataFrame with specified columns.
+
+    Args:
+        collection: A STAC collection object that contains assets.
+        columns: List of columns to return. Default is ["geometry", "assets", "href"].
+        storage_options: Storage options to pass to fsspec. Default is None.
+
+    Returns:
+        GeoDataFrame containing the specified columns.
+    """
+    if storage_options is None:
+        storage_options = {"account_name": "coclico"}
+
+    # Set default columns
+    if columns is None:
+        columns = ["geometry", "assets", "href"]
+
+    columns_ = copy.deepcopy(columns)
+
+    # Ensure 'assets' is always in the columns
+    if "assets" not in columns:
+        columns.append("assets")
+        logger.debug("'assets' column added to the list of columns")
+
+    # Open the parquet file and read the specified columns
+    href = collection.assets["geoparquet-stac-items"].href
+    with fsspec.open(href, mode="rb", **storage_options) as f:
+        extents = gpd.read_parquet(f, columns=[c for c in columns if c != "href"])
+
+    # If 'href' is requested, extract it from the 'assets' column
+    if "href" in columns:
+        extents["href"] = extents["assets"].apply(lambda x: x["data"]["href"])
+        logger.debug("'href' column extracted from 'assets'")
+
+    # Drop 'assets' if it was not originally requested
+    if "assets" not in columns_:
+        extents = extents.drop(columns=["assets"])
+        logger.debug("'assets' column dropped from the GeoDataFrame")
+
+    return extents
diff --git a/tutorials/deltadtm.ipynb b/tutorials/deltadtm.ipynb
index ee6f7e8..2d81aba 100644
--- a/tutorials/deltadtm.ipynb
+++ b/tutorials/deltadtm.ipynb
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@
     "import rioxarray\n",
     "import shapely\n",
     "import xarray as xr\n",
-    "from ipyleaflet import Map, basemaps\n",
-    "\n",
-    "storage_options = {\"account_name\": \"coclico\"}"
+    "from ipyleaflet import Map, basemaps"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -45,15 +43,17 @@
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "from coastpy.io.utils import read_items_extent\n",
+    "from coastpy.stac.utils import read_snapshot\n",
     "\n",
     "coclico_catalog = pystac.Catalog.from_file(\n",
     "    \"https://coclico.blob.core.windows.net/stac/v1/catalog.json\"\n",
     ")\n",
     "\n",
     "ddtm_collection = coclico_catalog.get_child(\"deltares-delta-dtm\")\n",
-    "ddtm_extents = read_items_extent(\n",
-    "    ddtm_collection, columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\", \"href\"]\n",
+    "ddtm_extents = read_snapshot(\n",
+    "    ddtm_collection,\n",
+    "    columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\", \"href\"],\n",
+    "    storage_options={\"account_name\": \"coclico\"},\n",
     ")\n",
     "\n",
     "ddtm_extents.head()"
diff --git a/tutorials/global_coastal_transect_system.ipynb b/tutorials/global_coastal_transect_system.ipynb
index cde8b87..b1bdabd 100644
--- a/tutorials/global_coastal_transect_system.ipynb
+++ b/tutorials/global_coastal_transect_system.ipynb
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "from coastpy.io.utils import read_items_extent\n",
+    "from coastpy.stac.utils import read_snapshot\n",
     "\n",
-    "gcts_extents = read_items_extent(\n",
+    "gcts_extents = read_snapshot(\n",
     "    gcts_collection,\n",
     "    columns=[\"geometry\", \"assets\", \"href\"],\n",
     "    storage_options=storage_options,\n",